


as happy as they understand happiness

by reconditarmonia



Category: The Strange Case of Starship Iris (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Movie Night, Pining, opera - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 15:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21255377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reconditarmonia/pseuds/reconditarmonia
Summary: Sana, Violet and Arkady watchDer Rosenkavalier.





	as happy as they understand happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaggedwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaggedwolf/gifts).

It's anybody's guess where Arkady got the file. Whoever made the bootleg can't have expected it to be viewed on a screen as large as the one in the _Iris II_ — "It's for showing the crew morale videos," Violet said, then caught herself on the phrasing, and Krejjh nodded, their mouth a flat line — so although the sound is unexpectedly clear, the picture is fuzzy and washed-out. The costumes are probably historically accurate enough, but the hair in the famous film of _Der Rosenkavalier_ is straight out of 2168.

Sana actually remembers when it came out, and all the talk was about Carmela Irnik trying to shake her teen-heartthrob image, trading in a leather jacket for silver brocade. Sana was maybe a little in love with Carmela, like everyone was. She and Arkady have watched a couple of her other films together over the years, close together in Sana's bunk with her head resting on Arkady's breasts or her bare leg curled over Arkady's waist, the cute ones and the more romantic, steamy ones.

"It's not her real singing voice," Arkady says in Violet's ear, where they're cuddled up together watching the dashing Carmela-as-Octavian vowing his love to the older Marie Thérèse in the face of time. Sana is so, so conscious of where her skin could be touching Arkady's and isn't.

On the screen, then, Octavian falls in love at first sight with the beautiful young Sophie as he presents her with a silver rose. It probably isn't made of tinfoil like Arkady has said the Cresswin troupe's was. Sana sneaks a look over at Arkady and Violet and smiles; Arkady looks content and relaxed, in a way Sana hasn't seen in a while. And Violet — Sana's barely even had the chance to see Violet happy before. Brave, yes, relieved, yes — she's glad she gets to see her happy now, the tension around her pretty eyes smoothed out.

They make a beautiful couple. They have chemistry; it's a good movie. And there's no reason to be upset; Marie Thérèse saw this coming, didn't she?

Even if Sana didn't.

The music is glorious, and Sana is determined to enjoy the movie, so Violet's voice startles her, when all is nearly said and done and Marie Thérèse comes face to face with Sophie and realizes what's happened; when Sophie marvels at Marie Thérèse's goodness, and Marie Thérèse lets Octavian go, and Octavian goes.

"I know I don't know a lot about opera," Violet says slowly. Sana recognizes that tone; Violet's working something out. "But I think Sophie likes Marie Thérèse a lot. Even though they haven't known each other very long, at this point. She...wouldn't want her to be unhappy, because of everything, but she also. Um. Likes her." Her voice goes up at the end. Arkady squeezes Violet's shoulder, and scoots back to make a Sana-sized space between them, meeting Sana's eyes across a gap that doesn't seem as large as it did a few moments ago. Her face looks younger, almost worried.

When Sana looks at the screen, the three of them looking at each other with so much feeling that only singing can express it, she can almost see it.


End file.
